Hello there Chapelboro folks.  I am so pleased to be writing to you over here.  You see, over at my other blog I have created a voice telling parents where to take their kids, restaurants great for children, and family friendly activities all over the Triangle.  And I love that blog.  First, who doesn’t love being bossy and opinionated?  Second, I feel like it is meeting a need by helping parents get real tools and information to appreciate the town they live in.

But it is great to let loose a little and wax philosophic on other aspects of parenting in the Triangle.  It’s not just nuts and bolts here (although some of that, too, I am sure), but a chance to dig a little deeper.

Something that has been on my mind for awhile is a question:  why parent in “Chapelboro” at all?  What’s your answer?  You see, I didn’t move here to be a “Mom in Chapel Hill.”  I came here in my late twenties, for love.  I had, and still have, no University ties.  (In fact, my husband and I usually cheer against the blues during ACC games.)  But my husband found Carrboro, and he was smitten.  So we established life here.

We had a great time being a young couple in this town: Weaver Street Market Thursday night music, Tyler’s Pint Night, Bolin Creek Trails, Maple View ice cream, Fridays on the Front Porch, and more.  The more we could bike places, the happier we were.

Then we had a child.  It was planned and we were ready.  But still, life changed.  We were parents now.  So we had to worry about things like schools, cost of living, the house size, did we want to raise kids here, lowering monthly expenses to accommodate losing my salary, and GEEZ, it was crazy overwhelming!

But we grappled with it.  And while we did, indeed, move to a different house, we stayed in Chapel Hill.  And we realized that our lives hadn’t changed that much.  Because Chapelboro is one great place to raise a kid.  Weaver Street Market Thursday night music?  Absolutely great with kids!  The Bolin Creek Trails?  I have spent many hours on those with my son.  Maple View ice cream?  (Do I even need to answer how this fits into a family life?)  And my son loves to dance with friends at Fridays on the Front Porch.   I suppose the only thing that isn’t such a swell fit anymore is Tyler’s Pint Night.  Although my husband still manages to get a night out there with buddies every now and again…

When I look back over my past 6 years in this area I love how well it has fit my family, even as it changed from 2 to 3.  And it still doesn’t feel as though we’ve conquered it yet.  This area continues to show me new places and highlights, as well as make me love and appreciate the old haunts even more.  It’s like an English Muffin:  all these nooks and crannies.  And it is pretty amazing.  Personally, this Mom in Chapel Hill looks forward to investing many more years, and parenting time, here.   I hope you feel the same way, too!   Now let’s explore parenting in Chapelboro together…

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